January 21 – 23, 2019

Kelowna, Delta Grand Hotel

Managing Southern Interior Landscapes for Multiple Values

This year’s winter workshop will provide a venue to explore what values we want to protect, enhance, and realize from our forest and grassland ecosystems, and a forum to discuss the tools, practices and policies that are needed to do that.

There is no extra charge (other than the workshop registration fee) for bringing a poster or a trade show booth; every person accompanying the poster or booth must register and pay the reg fee. If you are bringing a poster or booth, complete the information box for this on the online reg form.

Cancellationsreceived on or before January 6 receive full refund minus $50 admin fee.received on or after January 7 will not receive a refund.

Hotel Accommodation / Conference Venue Information

The conference venue is The Delta Grand Hotel, 1310 Water Street, Kelowna BC. Rooms are reserved for our delegates at the rate of $119. For reservations call local phone: (250) 763-4500, or toll free (888) 236-2427, or you can book online via this link: book your room (NB: you can book Wednesday night (Jan 23) and you will be given the sisco rate upon checking in at the hotel; also, you will NOT be charged the Resort Fee nor for Parking (unfortunately this default setting on the link cannot be removed); you can click the SISCO Rate Details button on the 2nd page of the link, to confirm this)

Come join your colleagues at the first major forestry conference of the New Year, to discuss the silviculture and forest management issues of the day!

September 24 – 26, Thompson Rivers Forests near Kamloops

Post-Fire Landscapes – Past and Current Practices Considered

Is there a “New Climate Normal”?

And How do Silviculture Practitioners and Range Managers Address the Effects of Present and Future Large Wildfires on Forest and Range Values?

Across much of BC, wildfires in 2017 and 2018 have resulted in record-setting impacts on communities, and the forest and rangelands that surround and support them.

Many of our social, economic and ecological objectives and expectations for resources and values such as timber, livestock forage, identified wildlife, biodiversity, recreation, tourism, and watershed services are threatened, damaged or destroyed by extensive wildfire.

Following wildfire, silviculturists and range managers from diverse backgrounds are tasked with establishing productive forests and rangelands, however clarity on what treatments to implement and the efficacy of treatments is often poor or lacking.

In addition, the question remains whether past approaches and treatments are relevant if there is a “new climate normal”.

“Luckily”, there have been previous wildfire seasons when extensive areas burned and many locations where silviculture and range professionals worked hard to re-establish timber and forage values.

The 2018 Summer SISCO will visit wildfire areas from 1998 and 2003 to illustrate and discuss the consequences of treatments applied 15-20 years ago.

SISCO speakers that were involved with reforestation and range prescriptions following the 1998 and 2003 fires will present information on the context and rationale for the treatments applied, the perceived efficacy of the treatments and their views on what can and should be improved at the stand or landscape level to make post-wildfire management more efficient or reliable.

If you have concerns about the management of post-wildfire areas for any values, or are tasked with operational issues in managing wildfire areas, come join the 2018 Summer SISCO tour and join in a dialogue of how present and future silviculture and range professionals can improve the management of wildfire events.

Agenda Topics

We will look at the silviculture treatments that have been undertaken, and natural processes that have occurred, in landscapes created by recent-past and long-past wildfires.

We’ll consider how fire has affected these natural processes, discuss the efficacy of past treatments, and explore treatment options available today to achieve future stand objectives.

We’ll also discuss the role of silviculture in the bigger picture of wildfire management.

Itinerary

Monday Sept 24: registration and social get-together in the White Spot Lounge at the Holiday Inn North Kamloops (accommodation and marshaling venue)

Tuesday Sept 25: Greenstone Mountain Fire, Banquet on the way home at Privato Winery

Forest Management Practices in the Context of Climate Uncertainty: Using Silvicultural Tools to Address Droughts and Wildfire Rehabilitation

In BC’s Southern Interior, the summer of 2017 was marked by historic losses to wildfire and widespread drought, clearly showing yet again that in spite of the best made plans …“nature rules”.

Our 2018 Winter Workshop agenda explores some of the background and issues brought up by the 2017 season, and the likely future conditions forest and range managers will need to address. The wildfires and drought affected many economic, ecological and social values, clearly illustrating how closely intertwined Southern Interior communities are with their surrounding environment. SISCO speakers will present their views and engage with the audience in a dialogue on stand and landscape management practices important to a number of challenges including regenerating drought-prone sites, addressing the salvage and rehabilitation of wildfire areas and best management practices to anticipate and prepare for future droughty seasons.

Come join us in discussing and contributing to the next steps in the never-ending journey of improving forest and range management practices.

October 16 – 18, 2017

This year’s Fall Field Tour is brought to us by ATCO Wood Products, Kalesnikoff Lumber, and Monticola Forest, and we’ll be touring the West Kootenays with sites in the Nancy Greene/Rossland/Nelson/Salmo-Castlegar areas.

We’ll start on Monday early evening (Oct 16) with Registration at the Flying Steamshovel Inn, with hosted hors d’oeuvres and craft brews.

Day One stops are near Rossland and Nancy Greene; Day Two stops are near Nelson, and between Salmo – Castlegar.

Bag Lunches and Morning and Afternoon Refreshments are provided, as is dinner at the scenic Redstone Golf Course, which features an arboretum of ornamental (non-native) trees; we’ll be having a tree-id contest, with a free bottle of wine for the dinner, for the winner.

Come join your colleagues to talk about silviculture, and enjoy a lovely Autumn Excursion in the West Kootenays.

DAY ONE: Tuesday Ocotber 17th

Stop One: Summs Creek on the Nancy Greene Plateau: Mounding Versus No Mounding – Different Mounding for Different Objectives and the Effects on Stand Establishment: What Was Done, When And Why – A Results Comparison, and Live Excavator Demo.

SISCO

The Southern Interior Silviculture Committee has been in existence since the 1960s. Our purpose is to promote appropriate silviculture practices in BC by hosting two events each year – a winter workshop and a summer field tour - to provide a venue for discussion of forestry issues and topics.

We also post announcements and reports on this site, that may be of interest to our members.

SISCO does not endorse any political party or platform; we are non-partisan and our sole purpose is to promote dialogue about good silviculture and forest practices in the province of BC.